Detailed eye shape model for robust biometric applications

ABSTRACT

Systems and methods for robust biometric applications using a detailed eye shape model are described. In one aspect, after receiving an eye image of an eye (e.g., from an eye-tracking camera on an augmented reality display device), an eye shape (e.g., upper or lower eyelids, an iris, or a pupil) of the eye in the eye image is calculated using cascaded shape regression methods. Eye features related to the estimated eye shape can then be determined and used in biometric applications, such as gaze estimation or biometric identification or authentication.

PRIORITY CLAIM

This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.15/693,975, filed Sep. 1, 2017, entitled “DETAILED EYE SHAPE MODEL FORROBUST BIOMETRIC APPLICATIONS,” which is incorporated by referenceherein in its entirety.

BACKGROUND Field

The present disclosure relates generally to systems and methods forprocessing eye imagery and more particularly for estimating a detailedeye shape model, comprising the pupil, iris, or eyelid using cascadedshape regression.

Description of the Related Art

The human iris of an eye can be used as a source of biometricinformation. Biometric information can provide authentication oridentification of an individual. Biometric information can additionallyor alternatively be used to determine a gaze direction for the eye.

SUMMARY

Systems and methods for robust biometric applications using a detailedeye shape model are described. In one aspect, after receiving an eyeimage of an eye (e.g., from an eye-tracking camera on an augmentedreality display device), an eye shape (e.g., a shape of an upper orlower eyelid, an iris, or a pupil) of the eye in the eye image iscalculated using cascaded shape regression methods. Eye features relatedto the estimated eye shape can then be determined and used in biometricapplications, such as gaze estimation or biometric identification orauthentication (e.g., iris codes). The cascaded shape regression methodcan be trained on a set of annotated eye images that label, for example,the shape of the eyelids, pupil, and iris.

Details of one or more implementations of the subject matter describedin this specification are set forth in the accompanying drawings and thedescription below. Other features, aspects, and advantages will becomeapparent from the description, the drawings, and the claims. Neitherthis summary nor the following detailed description purports to defineor limit the scope of the inventive subject matter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A schematically illustrates an example of an eye showing eyefeatures.

FIG. 1B shows an example of three angles (e.g., yaw, pitch, and roll)that can be used for measuring eye pose direction relative to a natural,resting state of the eye.

FIG. 2A schematically illustrates an example of a wearable displaysystem.

FIG. 2B schematically illustrates a top view of an example of thewearable display system.

FIG. 3 is a flow diagram of an example routine for extracting biometricinformation from an eye image to be used in biometric applications.

FIG. 4A schematically illustrates an example progression of a detailedeye shape model estimation.

FIG. 4B schematically illustrates an example of a detailed eye shapemodel in which boundaries of the pupil, iris, and eyelid have beenidentified.

FIG. 4C is an image showing an example of two pairs of shape-indexedfeatures.

FIG. 5 illustrates an example of a set of annotated training images usedfor learning a regression function.

FIG. 6 is a flow diagram of an example of an eye shape training routinefor learning cascaded shape regression.

FIG. 7A schematically illustrates an example of false boundary points.

FIG. 7B schematically illustrates an example of selective featuredetection.

Throughout the drawings, reference numbers may be re-used to indicatecorrespondence between referenced elements. The drawings are provided toillustrate example embodiments described herein and are not intended tolimit the scope of the disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Overview

Extracting biometric information from the eye generally includes aprocedure for the segmentation of the iris within an eye image. Irissegmentation can involve operations including locating the irisboundaries, including finding the pupillary and limbic boundaries of theiris, localizing upper or lower eyelids if they occlude the iris,detecting and excluding occlusions of eyelashes, shadows, orreflections, and so forth. For example, the eye image can be included inan image of the face or may be an image of the periocular region. Toperform iris segmentation, both the boundary of the pupil (the interiorboundary of the iris) and the limbus (the exterior boundary of the iris)can be identified as separate segments of image data. In addition tothis segmentation of the iris, the portion of the iris that is occludedby the eyelids (upper or lower) can be estimated. This estimation isperformed because, during normal human activity, the entire iris of aperson is rarely visible. In other words, the entire iris is notgenerally free from occlusions of the eyelids (e.g., during blinking).

Eyelids may be used by the eye to keep the eye moist, for example, byspreading tears and other secretions across the eye surface. Eyelids mayalso be used to protect the eye from foreign debris. As an example, theblink reflex protects the eye from acute trauma. As another example,even when the eye is actively viewing the world, the eyelids may protectthe eye, for example, by moving automatically in response to changes inthe pointing direction of the eye. Such movement by the eyelids canmaximize protection of the eye surface while avoiding occlusion of thepupil. However, this movement presents further challenges whenextracting biometric information with iris-based biometric measurementssuch as iris segmentation. For example, to use iris segmentation, theareas of the iris that are occluded by the eyelids may be estimated andmasked from identity verification computations or images taken duringeyelid blink may be discarded or given lower weight during analysis.

Extracting biometric information has presented challenges, such asestimating the portion of the iris occluded by eyelids. However, usingthe techniques described herein, the challenges presented in extractingbiometric information can be mitigated by first estimating the eyeshape. As used herein, the eye shape includes one or more of a shape(e.g., a boundary) of the pupil, iris, upper eyelid, or lower eyelid.This estimation of eye shape can be used as a starting point for irissegmentation. Once the eye shape is estimated, biometric applicationsmay be performed more efficiently and more robustly. For instance,corneal reflections (e.g., glints) found in certain regions of the eye(e.g., the iris) may be used for gaze estimation. Glints in otherregions of the eye (e.g., the sclera) are often not used in eye gazeestimation. By calculating a detailed eye shape model using thetechniques described herein, glints in the desired regions (e.g., iris)can be located more quickly and efficiently by removing the need tosearch the entire eye (e.g., iris and sclera), thus producing a moreefficient and robust gaze estimation.

To obtain biometric information, algorithms exist for tracking eyemovements of a user of a computer. For example, a camera coupled to amonitor of the computer can provide images for identifying eyemovements. However, the cameras used for eye tracking are some distancefrom the eyes of the user. For example, the camera may be placed at thetop of a user's monitor coupled to the computer. As a result, the imagesof the eyes produced by the camera are, often, produced with poorresolution and at differing angles. Accordingly, extracting biometricinformation from a captured eye image may present challenges.

In the context of a wearable head mounted display (HMD), cameras may becloser to the user's eyes than a camera coupled to a user's monitor. Forexample, cameras may be mounted on the wearable HMD, which itself isplaced on a user's head. The proximity of the eyes to such a camera canresult in higher resolution eye imagery. Accordingly, it is possible forcomputer vision techniques to extract visual features from the user'seyes, particularly at the iris (e.g., an iris feature) or in the sclerasurrounding the iris (e.g., a scleral feature). For example, when viewedby a camera near the eye, the iris of an eye will show detailedstructures. Such iris features are particularly pronounced when observedunder infrared (IR) illumination and can be used for biometricapplications, such as gaze estimation or biometric identification. Theseiris features are unique from user to user and, in the manner of afingerprint, can be used to identify the user uniquely. Eye features caninclude blood vessels in the sclera of the eye (outside the iris), whichmay also appear particularly pronounced when viewed under red orinfrared light. Eye features may further include glints and the centerof the pupil.

With the techniques disclosed herein, detailed eye shape estimation isused to produce a more robust method of detecting eye features used inbiometric applications (e.g., gaze estimation and biometricidentification). The use of gaze estimation has significant implicationson the future of computer interfaces. Gaze estimation is currentlyemployed in active interfaces (e.g., an interface that receivesinstructions through eye movements) and passive interfaces (e.g., avirtual reality device that modifies the display based on gazeposition). Detecting eye features using conventional eye shapeestimation techniques is challenging because of image noise, ambientlight, and large variations in appearance when the eye is half-closed orblinking. Therefore, a method of producing a more robust algorithm fordetermining eye features used in biometric applications, such as gazeestimation or biometric identification, would be advantageous. Thefollowing disclosure describes such a method.

The present disclosure will describe a detailed eye shape modelcalculated using cascaded shape regression techniques, as well as waysthat the detailed eye shape model may be used for robust biometricapplications. Recently, shape regression has become the state-of-the-artapproach for accurate and efficient shape alignment. It has beensuccessfully used in face, hand and ear shape estimation. Regressiontechniques are advantageous because, for example, they are capable ofcapturing large variances in appearance; they enforce shape constraintbetween landmarks (e.g., iris between eyelids, pupil inside iris); andthey are computationally efficient.

As used herein, video is used in its ordinary sense and includes, but isnot limited to, a recording of a sequence of visual images. Each imagein a video is sometimes referred to as an image frame or simply a frame.A video can include a plurality of sequential frames or non-sequentialframes, either with or without an audio channel. A video can include aplurality of frames, which are ordered in time or which are not orderedin time. Accordingly, an image in a video can be referred to as an eyeimage frame or eye image.

Example of an Eye Image

FIG. 1A illustrates an image of an eye 100 with eyelids 110, iris 112,and pupil 114. Curve 114 a shows the pupillary boundary between thepupil 114 and the iris 112, and curve 112 a shows the limbic boundarybetween the iris 112 and the sclera 113 (the “white” of the eye). Theeyelids 110 include an upper eyelid 110 a and a lower eyelid 110 b andeyelashes 117. The eye 100 is illustrated in a natural resting pose(e.g., in which the user's face and gaze are both oriented as they wouldbe toward a distant object directly ahead of the user). The naturalresting pose of the eye 100 can be indicated by a natural restingdirection 180, which can be a direction orthogonal to the surface of theeye 100 when in the natural resting pose (e.g., directly out of theplane for the eye 100 shown in FIG. 1A) and in this example, centeredwithin the pupil 114.

The eye 100 can include eye features 115 in the iris or the sclera (orboth) that can be used for biometric applications, such as eye tracking.FIG. 1A illustrates an example of eye features 115 including irisfeatures 115 a and a scleral feature 115 b. Eye features 115 can bereferred to as individual keypoints. Such eye features 115 may be uniqueto an individual's eye, and may be distinct for each eye of thatindividual. An iris feature 115 a can be a point of a particular colordensity, as compared to the rest of the iris color, or as compared to acertain area surrounding that point. As another example, a texture(e.g., a texture that is different from texture of the iris nearby thefeature) or a pattern of the iris can be identified as an iris feature115 a. As yet another example, an iris feature 115 a can be a scar thatdiffers in appearance from the iris 112. Eye features 115 can also beassociated with the blood vessels of the eye. For example, a bloodvessel may exist outside of the iris 112 but within the sclera 113. Suchblood vessels may be more prominently visible under red or infraredlight illumination. The scleral feature 115 b can be a blood vessel inthe sclera of the eye. Additionally or alternatively, eye features 115may comprise glints, which comprise corneal reflections of light sources(e.g., an IR light source directed toward the eye for gaze tracking orbiometric identification). In some cases, the term eye feature may beused to refer to any type of identifying feature in or on the eye,whether the feature is in the iris 112, the sclera 113, or a featureseen through the pupil 114 (e.g., on the retina).

Each eye feature 115 can be associated with a descriptor that is anumerical representation of an area surrounding the eye feature 115. Adescriptor can also be referred to as an iris feature representation. Asyet another example, such eye features may be derived fromscale-invariant feature transforms (SIFT), speeded up robust features(SURF), features from accelerated segment test (FAST), oriented FAST androtated BRIEF (ORB), KAZE, Accelerated KAZE (AKAZE), etc. Accordingly,eye features 115 may be derived from algorithms and techniques from thefield of computer vision known. Such eye features 115 can be referred toas keypoints. In some of the example embodiments described below, theeye features will be described in terms of iris features. This is not alimitation and any type of eye feature (e.g., a scleral feature) can beused, additionally or alternatively, in other implementations.

As the eye 100 moves to look toward different objects, the eye gaze(sometimes also referred to herein as eye pose) will change relative tothe natural resting direction 180. The current eye gaze can be measuredwith reference the natural resting eye gaze direction 180. The currentgaze of the eye 100 may be expressed as three angular parametersindicating the current eye pose direction relative to the naturalresting direction 180 of the eye. For purposes of illustration, and withreference to an example coordinate system shown in FIG. 1B, theseangular parameters can be represented as α (may be referred to as yaw),β (may be referred to as pitch), and γ (may be referred to as roll). Inother implementations, other techniques or angular representations formeasuring eye gaze can be used, for example, any other type of Eulerangle system.

An eye image can be obtained from a video using any appropriate process,for example, using a video processing algorithm that can extract animage from one or more sequential frames. The pose of the eye can bedetermined from the eye image using a variety of eye-trackingtechniques. For example, an eye pose can be determined by consideringthe lensing effects of the cornea on light sources that are provided orby calculating a shape of the pupil or iris (relative to a circularshape representing a forward-looking eye).

Example of a Wearable Display System Using Eye Shape Estimation

In some embodiments, display systems can be wearable, which mayadvantageously provide a more immersive virtual reality (VR), augmentedreality (AR), or mixed reality (MR) experience, where digitallyreproduced images or portions thereof are presented to a wearer in amanner wherein they seem to be, or may be perceived as, real.

Without being limited by theory, it is believed that the human eyetypically can interpret a finite number of depth planes to provide depthperception. Consequently, a highly believable simulation of perceiveddepth may be achieved by providing, to the eye, different presentationsof an image corresponding to each of these limited number of depthplanes. For example, displays containing a stack of waveguides may beconfigured to be worn positioned in front of the eyes of a user, orviewer. The stack of waveguides may be utilized to providethree-dimensional perception to the eye/brain by using a plurality ofwaveguides to direct light from an image injection device (e.g.,discrete displays or output ends of a multiplexed display which pipeimage information via one or more optical fibers) to the viewer's eye atparticular angles (and amounts of divergence) corresponding to the depthplane associated with a particular waveguide.

In some embodiments, two stacks of waveguides, one for each eye of aviewer, may be utilized to provide different images to each eye. As oneexample, an augmented reality scene may be such that a wearer of an ARtechnology sees a real-world park-like setting featuring people, trees,buildings in the background, and a concrete platform. In addition tothese items, the wearer of the AR technology may also perceive that he“sees” a robot statue standing upon the real-world platform, and acartoon-like avatar character flying by which seems to be apersonification of a bumble bee, even though the robot statue and thebumble bee do not exist in the real world. The stack(s) of waveguidesmay be used to generate a light field corresponding to an input imageand in some implementations, the wearable display comprises a wearablelight field display. Examples of wearable display device and waveguidestacks for providing light field images are described in U.S. PatentPublication No. 2015/0016777, which is hereby incorporated by referenceherein in its entirety for all it contains.

FIGS. 2A and 2B illustrate examples of a wearable display system 200that can be used to present a VR, AR, or MR experience to the wearer204. The wearable display system 200 may be programmed to capture animage of an eye and perform eye shape estimation to provide any of theapplications or embodiments described herein. The display system 200includes a display 208 (positionable in front of the user's eye oreyes), and various mechanical and electronic modules and systems tosupport the functioning of that display 208. The display 208 may becoupled to a frame 212, which is wearable by a display system wearer orviewer 204 and which is configured to position the display 208 in frontof the eyes of the wearer 204. The display 208 may be a light fielddisplay, configured to display virtual images at multiple depth planesfrom the user. In some embodiments, a speaker 216 is coupled to theframe 212 and positioned adjacent the ear canal of the user in someembodiments, another speaker, not shown, is positioned adjacent theother ear canal of the user to provide for stereo/shapeable soundcontrol. The display 208 is operatively coupled 220, such as by a wiredlead or wireless connectivity, to a local data processing module 224which may be mounted in a variety of configurations, such as fixedlyattached to the frame 212, fixedly attached to a helmet or hat worn bythe user, embedded in headphones, or otherwise removably attached to theuser 204 (e.g., in a backpack-style configuration, in a belt-couplingstyle configuration).

As shown in FIG. 2B, the wearable display system 200 may further includean eye tracking camera 252 a disposed within the wearable display system200 and configured to capture images of an eye 100 a. The display system200 may further comprise a light source 248 a configured to providesufficient illumination to capture eye features 115 of the eye 100 awith the eye tracking camera 252 a. In some embodiments, the lightsource 248 a illuminates the eye 100 a using infrared light, which isnot visible to the user, so that the user is not distracted by the lightsource. The eye tracking camera 252 a and light source 248 a may beseparate components that are individually attached to the wearabledisplay system 200, for instance to the frame 212. In other embodiments,the eye tracking camera 252 a and light source 248 a may be componentsof a single housing 244 a that is attached to the frame 212. In someembodiments, the wearable display system 200 may further comprise asecond eye tracking camera 252 b and a second light source 248 bconfigured to illuminate and capture images of eye 100 b. The eyetracking cameras 252 a, 252 b can be used to capture the eye images usedin eye shape calculation, gaze determination, and biometricidentification.

Referring again to FIG. 2A, the local processing and data module 224 maycomprise a hardware processor, as well as non-transitory digital memory,such as non-volatile memory e.g., flash memory, both of which may beutilized to assist in the processing, caching, and storage of data. Thedata include data (a) captured from sensors (which may be, e.g.,operatively coupled to the frame 212 or otherwise attached to the wearer204), such as image capture devices (such as cameras), microphones,inertial measurement units, accelerometers, compasses, GPS units, radiodevices, and/or gyros; and/or (b) acquired and/or processed using remoteprocessing module 228 and/or remote data repository 232, possibly forpassage to the display 208 after such processing or retrieval. The localprocessing and data module 224 may be operatively coupled bycommunication links 236, 240, such as via a wired or wirelesscommunication links, to the remote processing module 228 and remote datarepository 232 such that these remote modules 228, 232 are operativelycoupled to each other and available as resources to the local processingand data module 224.

In some embodiments, the remote processing module 228 may comprise oneor more processors configured to analyze and process data and/or imageinformation such as video information captured by an image capturedevice. The video data may be stored locally in the local processing anddata module 224 and/or in the remote data repository 232. In someembodiments, the remote data repository 232 may comprise a digital datastorage facility, which may be available through the internet or othernetworking configuration in a “cloud” resource configuration. In someembodiments, all data is stored and all computations are performed inthe local processing and data module 224, allowing fully autonomous usefrom a remote module. In some implementations, the local processing anddata module 224 and/or the remote processing module 228 are programmedto perform embodiments of estimating a detailed eye shape model asdescribed herein. For example, the local processing and data module 224or the remote processing module 228 can be programmed to performembodiments of routine 300 described with reference to FIG. 3 below. Thelocal processing and data module 224 or the remote processing module 228can be programmed to use eye shape estimation techniques disclosedherein to perform biometric applications, for example to identify orauthenticate the identity of the wearer 204. Additionally oralternatively, in gaze estimation or pose determination, for example todetermine a direction toward which each eye is looking.

An image capture device can capture video for a particular application(e.g., video of the wearer's eye for an eye-tracking application orvideo of a wearer's hand or finger for a gesture identificationapplication). The video can be analyzed using the eye shape estimationtechniques by one or both of the processing modules 224, 228. With thisanalysis, processing modules 224, 228 can perform eye shape estimationfor robust biometric applications. As an example, the local processingand data module 224 and/or the remote processing module 228 can beprogrammed to store obtained eye images from the eye tracking cameras252 a, 252 b attached to the frame 212. In addition, the localprocessing and data module 224 and/or the remote processing module 228can be programmed to process the eye images using the eye shapeestimation techniques described herein (e.g., the routine 300) toextract biometric information of the wearer 204 of the wearable displaysystem 200. In some cases, off-loading at least some of the biometricinformation to a remote processing module (e.g., in the “cloud”) mayimprove efficiency or speed of the computations. Various parameters foreye gaze identification (e.g., weights, bias terms, random subsetsampling factors, number, and size of filters (e.g., Sobel derivativeoperator), etc.) can be stored in data modules 224 or 228.

The results of the video analysis (e.g., detailed eye shape model) canbe used by one or both of the processing modules 224, 228 for additionaloperations or processing. For example, in various applications,biometric identification, eye-tracking, recognition, or classificationof objects, poses, etc. may be used by the wearable display system 200.For example, video of the wearer's eye(s) can be used for eye shapeestimation, which, in turn, can be used by the processing modules 224,228 to determine the direction of the gaze of the wearer 204 through thedisplay 208. The processing modules 224, 228 of the wearable displaysystem 200 can be programmed with one or more embodiments of eye shapeestimation to perform any of the video or image processing applicationsdescribed herein.

Example Eye Shape Estimation Routine

FIG. 3 is a flow diagram of an example eye shape estimation routine 300.The eye shape estimation routine 300 can be implemented by the localprocessing and data module 224 or the remote processing module 228 anddata repository 232 described with reference to FIG. 2. Eye shapeestimation can also be referred to as eye shape detection or detailedeye shape modelling. The routine 300 begins at block 308 when an eyeimage 324 is received. The eye image 324 can be received from a varietyof sources including, for example, an image capture device, a headmounted display system, a server, a non-transitory computer-readablemedium, or a client computing device (e.g., a smartphone). The eye image324 may be received from the eye tracking camera 252 a. In someimplementations, the eye image 324 can be extracted from a video.

At block 312, a detailed eye shape model 400 b may be estimated from theeye image 324. In some embodiments, the detailed eye shape model 400 bmay be estimated using cascaded shape regression as further describedbelow. At block 316, eye features 115 are determined based at least inpart on the detailed eye shape model 400 b estimated in block 312. Insome embodiments, eye features 115 (some of which are shown in image332) include pupillary or limbic boundaries, eyelid boundaries, glints,eye keypoints, or a center of the pupil 114. Eye features 115 mayfurther include any feature that can be used in a biometric application.The detailed eye shape model 400 b estimated in block 312 may serve asprior knowledge to improve the robustness of the feature detection atblock 316. At block 320, a biometric application (e.g., gaze estimationor biometric identification/authentication) is performed based at leastin part on the biometric information obtained at blocks 312 and 316. Insome embodiments, at block 320 a, gaze direction may be estimated basedat least in part on the eye features 115 determined at block 316.Additionally or alternatively, in some embodiments, at block 320 b,biometric identification/authentication may be performed based at leastin part on the eye features determined at block 316. Biometricidentification or authentication may comprise determining an iris codebased at least in part on the eye image and the determined pupillary andlimbic boundaries (e.g., the iris code based on the Daugman algorithm).

Example Eye Shape Estimation

Given an input image I, with an initial eye shape S₀, cascaded shaperegression progressively refines a shape S by estimating a shapeincrement ΔS stage-by-stage. The initial shape S₀ may represent a bestguess to the eye shape (e.g., pupillary, limbic, and eyelid boundaries)or a default shape (e.g., circular pupillary and iris boundariescentered at the center of the eye image I). In a generic form, a shapeincrement ΔS_(t) at stage t is regressed as:

ΔS _(t)=ƒ_(t)(Φ_(t)(l, S _(t−1)))   Eq. (1)

where ƒ_(t) is a regression function at stage t and Φ_(t) is ashape-indexed extraction function. Note that Φ_(t) can depend on boththe input image l and shape in the previous stage S_(t−1). Theshape-indexed extraction function Φ_(t) can handle larger shapevariations compared to a “non-shape-indexed” feature. A pairwise pixelcomparison feature may be used, which may be invariant to globalillumination changes. The regression goes to the next stage t+1 byadding the shape increment ΔS_(t) to the shape in the previous stageS_(t−1) to yield S_(t)=S_(t−1)+ΔS_(t).

Some examples of cascaded shape regression models that can be used toestimate an eye shape can include: Explicit Shape Regression (ESR),Cascaded Pose Regression (CPR), Ensemble of Regression Trees (ERT),Supervised Descent Method (SDM), Local Binary Features (LBF),Probabilistic Random Forests (PRF), Cascade Gaussian Process RegressionTrees (cGPRT), Coarse-to-Fine Shape Searching (CFSS), Random CascadedRegression Copse (R-CR-C), Cascaded Collaborative Regression method(CCR), Spatio-Temporal Cascade Shape Regression (STCSR), or othercascaded shape regression methods.

FIG. 4A schematically illustrates an example progression of a detailedeye shape model. For simplicity, FIG. 4A only depicts the shape of anupper and lower eyelid 110 a, 110 b and does not illustrate theestimated shapes of an iris 112 or a pupil 114. However, the shapes ofthe iris 112 and the pupil 114 may additionally or alternatively bemodeled at this stage (see, e.g., the example results in FIG. 4B). Insome embodiments, the initial estimated eye shape 404 may be any eyeshape that is similar to the target shape 412. For example, the initialestimated eye shape can be set as a mean shape in the center of theimage. FIG. 4A depicts the eye shape regression from the initialestimated eye shape 404 to the target shape 412 performed over elevenstages. FIG. 4A shows the initial (zeroth) stage S₀, the first stage S₁,and the tenth stage S₁₀. For simplicity, only the intermediate eyelidshape 408 is depicted in FIG. 4A. In some embodiments, the regressionmodel may be programmed to stop after a predetermined number ofiterations (e.g., 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, or more). In other embodiments,the regression model may continue iterating until the shape incrementΔS_(t) at stage t is smaller than a threshold. For example, if therelative eye shape change |ΔS_(t)/S_(t)| is less than a threshold (e.g.,10⁻², 10⁻³, or smaller), the regression model may terminate. In otherembodiments, the regression model may continue iterating until thedifference between the shape S_(t) at stage t and the shape at theprevious stage S_(t−1) is smaller than a threshold.

In some embodiments, the detailed eye shape model 400 b may comprise aplurality of boundary points 424 for the pupillary, limbic, or eyelidboundaries. The boundary points 424 may correspond to the estimatedeyelid shape 412, the estimated iris shape 416, and the estimated pupilshape 420, respectively. The number of boundary points 424 can be in arange of 6-100 or more. In some implementations, the detailed eye shapemodel 400 b can be used to determine whether a received eye image meetscertain standards, e.g., quality of the image.

FIG. 4B illustrates an example of a completed eye shape model using theeye shape estimation routine 300 described at block 312 of FIG. 3. FIG.4B illustrates the result of block 312 after an eye shape is modeledbased on cascaded shape regression that has determined the pupillary,limbic, and eyelid boundaries. These boundaries are overlaid on an imageof the periocular region of the eye to show the match between thecalculated boundaries and the underlying eye image. As described above,the shape-indexed extraction function Φ_(t) can handle larger shapevariations compared to a “non-shape-indexed” feature. A pairwise pixelcomparison feature may be used, which may be invariant to globalillumination changes. FIG. 4C is an image showing an example of twopairs of shape-indexed features. A local coordinate system (shown as xand y axes 450) is determined by the current eye shape (e.g., the eyelidshape 462). Intensity values from a pair of pixel locations 460 a, 460 b(the squares connected by arrowed lines; two pair 460 a, 460 b of suchpixel locations are shown) can be compared to provide a binary feature(e.g., a Boolean value such as 0 or 1, indicating a match or non-match).For example, a pixel located inside the pupil (e.g., the pupillary pixelin the pair 460 b) may be darker in color or contrast than a pixellocated outside the pupil (e.g., in the user's iris, sclera, or skin (asshown in FIG. 4C)). In some implementations, the pixel locations arefixed in the local coordinate system 450, which varies as the eye shape462 is updated during the stages of the regression. In one examplesystem, 2500 features are constructed from 400 pixel locations, all ofwhich are learned from training data 500 (described below with referenceto FIG. 5).

Example of Training Images for Learning Cascaded Shape Regression

In some embodiments, the regression function ƒ_(t) and the shape-indexedextraction function Φ_(t) may be learned from sets of annotated (e.g.,labeled) training data. FIG. 5 illustrates an example of training data500 that includes eight example eye images from different subjects withlarge shape and appearance variations (indexed as (a) through (h)). Thelabeled eye images advantageously should show a wide range of eyevariations (e.g., normally opened eyes, blinking eyes, eyes pointing ina wide range of directions (up, down, left, right) relative to a naturalresting direction, etc.) from a wide range of subjects (of differentgenders, ethnicities, etc.).

The training data 500 are annotated to show the features that are to belearned, which in this example include pupillary, limbic, and eyelidboundaries marked on each of the images. These labeled boundaries ineach of the images in the training data 500 can be determined using anyappropriate pupillary, limbic, or eyelid boundary technique or by hand.Various machine learning algorithms may be used to learn the regressionfunction ƒ_(t) and the shape-indexed extraction function Φ_(t) from theannotated training data 500. Supervised machine learning algorithms(e.g., regression-based algorithms) can be used to learn the regressionfunction and shape-indexed extraction function from the annotated data500. Some examples of machine learning algorithms that can be used togenerate such a model can include regression algorithms (such as, forexample, Ordinary Least Squares Regression), instance-based algorithms(such as, for example, Learning Vector Quantization), decision treealgorithms (such as, for example, classification and regression trees),Bayesian algorithms (such as, for example, Naive Bayes), clusteringalgorithms (such as, for example, k-means clustering), association rulelearning algorithms (such as, for example, a-priori algorithms),artificial neural network algorithms (such as, for example, Perceptron),deep learning algorithms (such as, for example, Deep Boltzmann Machine,or deep neural network), dimensionality reduction algorithms (such as,for example, Principal Component Analysis), ensemble algorithms (suchas, for example, Stacked Generalization), or other machine learningalgorithms.

In some embodiments, a set of training images may be stored in theremote data repository 232. The remote processing module 228 may accessthe training images to learn the regression function ƒ_(t) and theshape-indexed extraction function Φ_(t). The local processing and datamodule 224 may then store the regression function ƒ_(t) and theshape-indexed extraction function Φ_(t) on the wearable device 200. Thisreduces the need for the local processing and data module 224 to performthe computationally intense process of learning the regression functionƒ_(t) and the shape-indexed extraction function Φ_(t). In someembodiments, biometric information may be taken from the user 204 andstored on the local processing and data module 224. The biometricinformation can then be used by the local processing and data module 224(or the remote processing module 228) to further train the regressionfunction and shape-indexed extraction function based on the user'spersonalized eye shape and features through, for example, unsupervisedlearning. Such training personalizes the regression model so that itmore particularly matches the features of the user's eyes and periocularregion, which can improve accuracy and efficiency.

Example Eye Shape Training Routine

FIG. 6 is a flow diagram of an example eye shape training routine 600,used to learn the regression function ƒ_(t) and the shape-indexedextraction function Φ_(t) from a set of training images (e.g., theimages 500 shown in FIG. 5). The eye shape training routine 600 can beimplemented by the processing modules 224, 228, 232. The routine 600begins at block 608 when training data (e.g., the data 500) comprisingannotated eye images are accessed. The training eye images can beaccessed from a non-transitory data store, which stores annotated eyeimages. The processing module can access the non-transitory data storevia wired or wireless techniques. At block 612, a machine learningtechnique (e.g., supervised learning for annotated or labeled images) isapplied to learn the regression function ƒ_(t) and the shape-indexedextraction function Φ_(t). A cascaded shape regression model can then begenerated at block 616. This regression model enables routine 300 toestimate the detailed eye shape model at block 312. As described above,the cascaded shape regression model can be personalized to a particularuser by further training the regression function and shape-indexedextraction function on eye images of the user obtained by the wearabledisplay system 200 during use.

Example of Robust Feature Detection

Eyelid Occlusion of Pupil or Iris

FIG. 7A illustrates boundary points 424 of a pupil that is partiallyoccluded by the eyelids. In one embodiment for robust feature detectionusing a detailed eye shape model, pupil detection may be improved byremoving false pupil boundary points 704 (shown as the arc of boundarypoints along the upper eyelid 110 a and within the pupil boundary 420).False pupil boundary points 704 may be created when an eyelid partiallyoccludes the pupil as shown in FIG. 7A (where the upper eyelid 110 apartially occludes the pupil 114). The points 704 therefore reflect theposition of the eyelid rather than the true boundary of the pupil (whichis occluded by the eyelid). Rather than include the false boundarypoints 704, which may lead to generation of an inaccurate model of thepupil, the false boundary points 704 may be identified and removedbefore a pupil boundary-finding method is performed. In someembodiments, the false pupil boundary points 704 may be any pupilboundary point that is located within a certain distance of the upper orlower eyelid. In some embodiments, the false pupil boundary points 704may be any pupil boundary point that borders the upper or lower eyelid.In some embodiments, once the false pupil boundary points 704 areidentified and removed, an ellipse may be fitted to the pupil using theremaining pupil boundary points. Algorithms that may be implemented forsuch an ellipse fitting include: integro-differential operators,least-squares method, random sample consensus (RANSAC), or an ellipse orcurve fitting algorithm.

Note, while the above embodiments specifically reference false pupilboundary points, the techniques described above may also be applied toidentify and remove false limbic boundary points.

In some embodiments, a detailed eye shape model may be used inconjunction with a pupil boundary finding algorithm such as, e.g., thestarburst algorithm, which can be employed to detect many pupil boundarypoints. Using the eyelid shapes 412 of the detailed eye shape model, theboundary points determined using the starburst algorithm that borderupper or lower eyelids 110 a, 110 b are removed, and the remainingboundary points are used to fit a pupil boundary 420. In someembodiments, the limbic boundary points that border the sclera 113 mayalso be identified using the detailed eye shape model. Thereafter, theiris ellipse 416 is fit using only the limbic boundary points determinedto border the sclera 113. Similarly, the pupil boundary 420 may be fitusing only the pupil boundary points determined to border the iris 112.In some embodiments, the detailed eye shape model may improve therobustness of the pupil boundary-finding algorithm by providing a betterinitial “best guess” of the pupil center based on the detailed eye shapemodel.

Glint Detection

In conventional gaze estimation, the pupil boundary (e.g., an ellipse insome techniques) and glints are detected by searching the entire eyeimage. Given the detailed eye shape model described herein, featuredetection can be faster and more efficient by eliminating the need tosearch the entire eye for features. In some embodiments, by firstidentifying the different regions of the eye (e.g., sclera, pupil, oriris) the detailed eye shape model may allow feature detection inparticular regions of the eye (e.g., selective feature detection). FIG.7B illustrates an example of selective feature detection. Glints 115 a,115 b may appear in the sclera 113, the iris 112, or the pupil 114. Incertain biometric applications, it may be necessary or desirable toidentify glints 115 a, 115 b in certain regions of the eye (e.g., theiris, which represent corneal reflections) while ignoring glints 115 a,115 b outside of those regions (e.g., the sclera). For instance, whendetermining gaze in certain techniques, scleral glints 115 b, located inthe sclera 113, do not represent the reflection of the light source fromthe cornea, and their inclusion in the gaze technique leads toinaccuracies in the estimated gaze. Therefore, it may be advantageous touse a detailed eye shape model to search for and identify iris glints115 a located within the iris 112 or within the limbic boundary 416. Asillustrated in FIG. 7B, iris glints 115 a are within the iris 112 andtherefore may be preferred for gaze estimation. On the other hand, thescleral glints 115 b appear in the sclera 113 and therefore may not bepreferred for gaze estimation. Accordingly, embodiments of thetechniques disclosed herein can be used to identify the eye regionswhere glints are likely to occur and eye regions outside these regionsdo not need to be searched, which improves the accuracy, speed, andefficiency of the technique.

Blink Detection

In some embodiments, feature detection can be more robust and efficientby using a detailed eye shape model to determine whether a received eyeimage meets certain quality thresholds. For instance, the detailed eyeshape model may be used to determine whether the eye is sufficientlyopen to estimate a reliable eye shape and to extract features and toperform a biometric application (e.g., gaze finding or biometricauthentication/identification). In some embodiments, if the distancebetween the upper eyelid 110 a and the lower eyelid 110 b is less than athreshold, the eye image is considered unusable and is discarded, andaccordingly no features are extracted for biometric application. In someembodiments, the eye image may be rejected if the upper eyelid 110 a andthe lower eyelid 110 b are separated by no more than 5mm. In anotherembodiment, the eye image may be rejected if greater than a certainpercentage of the pupil 114 or iris 112 is occluded by one or more ofthe eyelids 110 a, 110 b (e.g., greater than 40%, 50%, 60%, 75%, ormore). In another embodiment, the eye image may be rejected if a numberof pupil boundary points 704 border the upper eyelid 110 a or lowereyelid 110 b. For instance, if roughly half of the pupil boundary points704 border an eyelid 110 a, 110 b, it may be concluded that roughly halfof the pupil 114 is occluded by the eyelid, and thus, the eye image isunsuitable for biometric applications. In other embodiments, rather thanrejecting and discarding the eye image, the eye image is assigned alower weight in a biometric application than eye images in which thereis less occlusion of the eye (e.g., images where the distance betweenthe upper eyelid 110 a and the lower eyelid 110 b is greater than thethreshold).

Additional Aspects

In a first aspect, a wearable display system comprising: a light sourceconfigured to illuminate an eye of a user; an image capture deviceconfigured to capture an eye image of the eye; non-transitory memoryconfigured to store the eye image; and a hardware processor incommunication with the non-transitory memory, the hardware processorprogrammed to: receive the eye image from the non-transitory memory;estimate an eye shape from the eye image using cascaded shaperegression, the eye shape comprising a pupil shape, an iris shape, or aneyelid shape; and perform a biometric application based at least in parton the eye shape.

In a second aspect, the wearable display system of aspect 1, wherein thelight source comprises an infrared light source.

In a third aspect, the wearable display system of aspect 1 or aspect 2,wherein the hardware processor is further programmed to determine an eyefeature based at least in part on the eye shape.

In a fourth aspect, the wearable display system of aspect 3, wherein theeye feature comprises at least one of a glint (e.g., from the lightsource), a blood vessel, an iris feature, or a center of the pupil.

In a fifth aspect, the wearable display system of any one of aspects 1to 4, wherein the biometric application comprises determination of eyegaze.

In a sixth aspect, the wearable display system of aspect 5, wherein theeye shape comprises the iris shape, and the hardware processor isprogrammed to search for glints (e.g., from the light source) that arewithin the iris shape.

In a seventh aspect, the wearable display system of any one of aspects 1to 6, wherein the eye shape comprises the pupil shape and the eyelidshape, and the hardware processor is programmed to identify a portion ofthe pupil that is occluded by the eyelid.

In an eighth aspect, the wearable display system of aspect 7, whereinthe hardware processor is programmed to determine a pupillary boundarybased on the pupil shape without the portion of the pupil that isoccluded by the eyelid.

In a ninth aspect, the wearable display system of any one of aspects 1to 8, wherein the eye shape comprises the iris shape and the eyelidshape, and the hardware processor is programmed to identify a portion ofthe iris that is occluded by the eyelid.

In a 10th aspect, the wearable display system of aspect 9, wherein thehardware processor is programmed to determine a limbic boundary based onthe iris shape without the portion of the iris that is occluded by theeyelid.

In an 11th aspect, the wearable display system of any one of aspects 1to 10, wherein eye shape comprises the eyelid shape, and the biometricapplication comprises determination of eye blink.

In a 12th aspect, the wearable display system of aspect 11, wherein thehardware processor is programmed to reject or assign a lower weight tothe eye image if a distance between an upper eyelid and a lower eyelidis less than a threshold.

In a 13th aspect, the wearable display system of any one of aspects 1 to12, wherein the eye shape comprises a boundary to a pupil, an iris, oran eyelid.

In a 14th aspect, the wearable display system of aspect 13, wherein theboundary comprises a plurality of boundary points.

In a 15th aspect, the wearable display system of any one of aspects 1 to14, wherein the biometric application comprises biometric identificationor biometric authentication.

In a 16th aspect, the wearable display system of any one of aspects 1 to15, wherein the hardware processor is programmed to fit a curve to aboundary of the pupil, iris, or eyelid.

In a 17th aspect, the wearable display system of any one of aspects 1 to16, wherein to estimate the eye shape from the eye image using cascadedshape regression, the hardware processor is programmed to: iterate aregression function for determining a shape increment over a pluralityof stages, the regression function comprising a shape-indexed extractionfunction.

In an 18th aspect, the wearable display system of aspect 17, wherein toiterate the regression function, the hardware processor is programmed toevaluate

ΔS _(t)=ƒ_(t)(Φ_(t)(l, S _(t−1))),

for a shape increment ΔS_(t) at stage t of the iteration, where ƒ_(t) isthe regression function at stage t , Φ_(t) is the shape-indexedextraction function at stage t, l is the eye image, and S_(t−1) is theeye shape at stage t−1 of the iteration.

In a 19th aspect, the wearable display system of aspect 17 or aspect 18,wherein the shape-indexed extraction function provides a comparison ofeye image values between a pair of pixel locations.

In a 20th aspect, a method for processing an eye image, the methodcomprising: under control of a hardware processor: receiving the eyeimage; estimating an eye shape using cascaded shape regression;determining eye features using the eye shape; and performing a biometricapplication using the eye features.

In a 21st aspect, the method of aspect 20, wherein performing thebiometric application comprises performing biometric identification.

In a 22nd aspect, the method of aspect 20 or aspect 21, whereinperforming the biometric application comprises eye gaze determination.

In a 23rd aspect, the method of any one of aspects 20 to 22, whereinestimating the eye shape comprises estimating at least one of an eyelidshape, an iris shape, or a pupil shape.

In a 24th aspect, the method of any one of aspects 20 to 23, wherein,after estimating the eye shape, the hardware processor is configured toreject an unsuitable eye image.

In a 25th aspect, the method of any one of aspects 20 to 24, whereinestimating the eye shape using cascaded shape regression comprisesiterating a regression function that comprises a shape-indexedextraction function.

In a 26th aspect, a method for training an eye shape calculation engine,the method comprising: under control of a hardware processor: receivinga set of annotated training eye images, wherein each image in the set islabeled with an eye shape; and using a machine learning techniqueapplied to the set of annotated training eye images to learn aregression function and a shape-indexed extraction function, where theregression function and the shape-indexed extraction function learn torecognize the eye shape.

In a 27th aspect, the method of aspect 26, wherein the eye shapecomprises a shape of a pupil, a shape of an iris, or a shape of aneyelid.

In a 28th aspect, the method of aspect 26 or aspect 27, wherein theregression function and the shape-indexed extraction function arelearned to recognize eye shape according to an iteration of

ΔS _(t)=ƒ_(t)(Φ_(t)(l, S _(t−1))),

for a shape increment ΔS_(t) at stage t of the iteration, where ƒ_(t) isthe regression function at stage t, Φ_(t) is the shape-indexedextraction function at stage t, l is an unlabeled eye image, and S_(t−1)is the eye shape at stage t−1 of the iteration.

In a 29th aspect, the method of aspect 28, wherein the shape-indexedextraction function provides a comparison of eye image values between apair of pixel locations.

In a 30th aspect, the method of aspect 29, wherein the comparisoncomprises a binary or Boolean value.

Additional Considerations

Each of the processes, methods, and algorithms described herein and/ordepicted in the attached figures may be embodied in, and fully orpartially automated by, code modules executed by one or more physicalcomputing systems, hardware computer processors, application-specificcircuitry, and/or electronic hardware configured to execute specific andparticular computer instructions. For example, computing systems caninclude general purpose computers (e.g., servers) programmed withspecific computer instructions or special purpose computers, specialpurpose circuitry, and so forth. A code module may be compiled andlinked into an executable program, installed in a dynamic link library,or may be written in an interpreted programming language. In someimplementations, particular operations and methods may be performed bycircuitry that is specific to a given function.

Further, certain implementations of the functionality of the presentdisclosure are sufficiently mathematically, computationally, ortechnically complex that application-specific hardware or one or morephysical computing devices (utilizing appropriate specialized executableinstructions) may be necessary to perform the functionality, forexample, due to the volume or complexity of the calculations involved orto provide results substantially in real-time. For example, a video mayinclude many frames, with each frame having millions of pixels, andspecifically programmed computer hardware is necessary to process thevideo data to provide a desired image processing task, eye shape model,or biometric application in a commercially reasonable amount of time.

Code modules or any type of data may be stored on any type ofnon-transitory computer-readable medium, such as physical computerstorage including hard drives, solid state memory, random access memory(RAM), read only memory (ROM), optical disc, volatile or non-volatilestorage, combinations of the same and/or the like. The methods andmodules (or data) may also be transmitted as generated data signals(e.g., as part of a carrier wave or other analog or digital propagatedsignal) on a variety of computer-readable transmission mediums,including wireless-based and wired/cable-based mediums, and may take avariety of forms (e.g., as part of a single or multiplexed analogsignal, or as multiple discrete digital packets or frames). The resultsof the disclosed processes or process steps may be stored, persistentlyor otherwise, in any type of non-transitory, tangible computer storageor may be communicated via a computer-readable transmission medium.

Any processes, blocks, states, steps, or functionalities in flowdiagrams described herein and/or depicted in the attached figures shouldbe understood as potentially representing code modules, segments, orportions of code which include one or more executable instructions forimplementing specific functions (e.g., logical or arithmetical) or stepsin the process. The various processes, blocks, states, steps, orfunctionalities can be combined, rearranged, added to, deleted from,modified, or otherwise changed from the illustrative examples providedherein. In some embodiments, additional or different computing systemsor code modules may perform some or all of the functionalities describedherein. The methods and processes described herein are also not limitedto any particular sequence, and the blocks, steps, or states relatingthereto can be performed in other sequences that are appropriate, forexample, in serial, in parallel, or in some other manner. Tasks orevents may be added to or removed from the disclosed exampleembodiments. Moreover, the separation of various system components inthe implementations described herein is for illustrative purposes andshould not be understood as requiring such separation in allimplementations. It should be understood that the described programcomponents, methods, and systems can generally be integrated together ina single computer product or packaged into multiple computer products.Many implementation variations are possible.

The processes, methods, and systems may be implemented in a network (ordistributed) computing environment. Network environments includeenterprise-wide computer networks, intranets, local area networks (LAN),wide area networks (WAN), personal area networks (PAN), cloud computingnetworks, crowd-sourced computing networks, the Internet, and the WorldWide Web. The network may be a wired or a wireless network or any othertype of communication network.

The systems and methods of the disclosure each have several innovativeaspects, no single one of which is solely responsible or required forthe desirable attributes disclosed herein. The various features andprocesses described above may be used independently of one another, ormay be combined in various ways. All possible combinations andsubcombinations are intended to fall within the scope of thisdisclosure. Various modifications to the implementations described inthis disclosure may be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, andthe generic principles defined herein may be applied to otherimplementations without departing from the spirit or scope of thisdisclosure. Thus, the claims are not intended to be limited to theimplementations shown herein, but are to be accorded the widest scopeconsistent with this disclosure, the principles and the novel featuresdisclosed herein.

Certain features that are described in this specification in the contextof separate implementations also can be implemented in combination in asingle implementation. Conversely, various features that are describedin the context of a single implementation also can be implemented inmultiple implementations separately or in any suitable subcombination.Moreover, although features may be described above as acting in certaincombinations and even initially claimed as such, one or more featuresfrom a claimed combination can in some cases be excised from thecombination, and the claimed combination may be directed to asubcombination or variation of a subcombination. No single feature orgroup of features is necessary or indispensable to each and everyembodiment.

Conditional language used herein, such as, among others, “can,” “could,”“might,” “may,” “e.g.,” and the like, unless specifically statedotherwise, or otherwise understood within the context as used, isgenerally intended to convey that certain embodiments include, whileother embodiments do not include, certain features, elements and/orsteps. Thus, such conditional language is not generally intended toimply that features, elements and/or steps are in any way required forone or more embodiments or that one or more embodiments necessarilyinclude logic for deciding, with or without author input or prompting,whether these features, elements and/or steps are included or are to beperformed in any particular embodiment. The terms “comprising,”“including,” “having,” and the like are synonymous and are usedinclusively, in an open-ended fashion, and do not exclude additionalelements, features, acts, operations, and so forth. Also, the term “or”is used in its inclusive sense (and not in its exclusive sense) so thatwhen used, for example, to connect a list of elements, the term “or”means one, some, or all of the elements in the list. In addition, thearticles “a,” “an,” and “the” as used in this application and theappended claims are to be construed to mean “one or more” or “at leastone” unless specified otherwise.

As used herein, a phrase referring to “at least one of” a list of itemsrefers to any combination of those items, including single members. Asan example, “at least one of: A, B, or C” is intended to cover: A, B, C,A and B, A and C, B and C, and A, B, and C. Conjunctive language such asthe phrase “at least one of X, Y and Z,” unless specifically statedotherwise, is otherwise understood with the context as used in generalto convey that an item, term, etc. may be at least one of X, Y or Z.Thus, such conjunctive language is not generally intended to imply thatcertain embodiments require at least one of X, at least one of Y and atleast one of Z to each be present.

Similarly, while operations may be depicted in the drawings in aparticular order, it is to be recognized that such operations need notbe performed in the particular order shown or in sequential order, orthat all illustrated operations be performed, to achieve desirableresults. Further, the drawings may schematically depict one more exampleprocesses in the form of a flowchart. However, other operations that arenot depicted can be incorporated in the example methods and processesthat are schematically illustrated. For example, one or more additionaloperations can be performed before, after, simultaneously, or betweenany of the illustrated operations. Additionally, the operations may berearranged or reordered in other implementations. In certaincircumstances, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous.Moreover, the separation of various system components in theimplementations described above should not be understood as requiringsuch separation in all implementations, and it should be understood thatthe described program components and systems can generally be integratedtogether in a single software product or packaged into multiple softwareproducts. Additionally, other implementations are within the scope ofthe following claims. In some cases, the actions recited in the claimscan be performed in a different order and still achieve desirableresults.

What is claimed is:
 1. A wearable display system comprising: an infraredlight source configured to illuminate an eye of a user; an image capturedevice configured to capture an eye image of the eye; non-transitorymemory configured to store the eye image; and a hardware processor incommunication with the non-transitory memory, the hardware processorprogrammed to: access the eye image from the non-transitory memory;estimate an eye shape from the eye image using cascaded shape regressionby iterating a shape-indexed extraction function over a plurality ofstages, the shape-indexed extraction function being dependent on atleast the eye image and the eye shape determined for a previous stage ofthe plurality of stages, the eye shape comprising a pupil shape, an irisshape, or an eyelid shape; and perform a biometric application based atleast in part on the eye shape.
 2. The wearable display system of claim1, wherein the hardware processor is further programmed to determine aneye feature based at least in part on the eye shape, wherein the eyefeature comprises at least one of a glint from the infrared lightsource, a blood vessel, an iris feature, or a center of the pupil. 3.The wearable display system of claim 1, wherein the biometricapplication comprises determination of eye gaze.
 4. The wearable displaysystem of claim 3, wherein the eye shape comprises the iris shape, andthe hardware processor is programmed to search for glints from theinfrared light source that are within the iris shape.
 5. The wearabledisplay system of claim 1, wherein the eye shape comprises the pupilshape and the eyelid shape, and the hardware processor is programmed toidentify a portion of the pupil that is occluded by the eyelid.
 6. Thewearable display system of claim 5, wherein the hardware processor isprogrammed to determine a pupillary boundary based on the pupil shapewithout the portion of the pupil that is occluded by the eyelid.
 7. Thewearable display system of claim 1, wherein the eye shape comprises theiris shape and the eyelid shape, and the hardware processor isprogrammed to identify a portion of the iris that is occluded by theeyelid.
 8. The wearable display system of claim 7, wherein the hardwareprocessor is programmed to determine a limbic boundary based on the irisshape without the portion of the iris that is occluded by the eyelid. 9.The wearable display system of claim 1, wherein eye shape comprises theeyelid shape, and the biometric application comprises determination ofeye blink.
 10. The wearable display system of claim 9, wherein thehardware processor is programmed to reject or assign a lower weight tothe eye image if a distance between an upper eyelid and a lower eyelidis less than a threshold.
 11. The wearable display system of claim 1,wherein the eye shape comprises a boundary to a pupil, an iris, or aneyelid.
 12. The wearable display system of claim 1, wherein thebiometric application comprises biometric identification or biometricauthentication.
 13. The wearable display system of claim 1, wherein thehardware processor is programmed to stop iterating the shape-indexedextraction function after a predetermined number of iterations or whenthe shape increment is smaller than a predetermined threshold.
 14. Thewearable display system of claim 1, wherein the shape-indexed extractionfunction determines a shape increment.
 15. The wearable display systemof claim 1, wherein the shape-indexed extraction function provides acomparison of eye image values between a pair of pixel locations.
 16. Amethod for training an eye shape calculation engine, the methodcomprising: under control of a hardware processor: receiving a set ofannotated training eye images, wherein each image in the set is labeledwith an eye shape; and using a machine learning technique applied to theset of annotated training eye images to learn a regression function anda shape-indexed extraction function over a plurality of stages, theshape-indexed extraction function being dependent on at least anunlabeled eye image and an eye shape determined for a previous stage ofthe plurality of stages, where the regression function and theshape-indexed extraction function learn to recognize the eye shape. 17.The method of claim 16, wherein the eye shape comprises a shape of apupil, a shape of an iris, or a shape of an eyelid.
 18. The method ofclaim 16, wherein the regression function and the shape-indexedextraction function determine a shape increment.
 19. The method of claim16, wherein the shape-indexed extraction function provides a comparisonof eye image values between a pair of pixel locations.
 20. The method ofclaim 19, wherein the comparison comprises a binary or Boolean value.